One of the men in our recent weekly Bible study and prayer time at Grace Village gave to each of us present a single first name for us to pray for. Six or eight names of jail inmates were handed out to people present.The name given to me to pray for read "-----------, arrested this week, that God will draw him back close to Him." This is a request from a man in jail whose conscience tells him that he has done wrong.
What is conscience? Why do we know that we have done wrong? Simply and realistically, God has put within each of us something that cries out against us when we do wrong. This is what the man in jail is doing.
Our Times-Union daily paper carries people's wrongdoings nearly dailly. Many of whom yield to temptations and end up in jail. Conscience convicts them. Conscience is a detective that alerts to the wrong that has been done. The jailed man, above mentioned, asks that we pray "that God will draw him back close to Him." We gladly receive and heed his request.
There is no greater recognition for the existence of God than conscience. Implanted in each person's soul is the existence of moral law, a little light which is God's voice to the inner man. A little child does wrong, is caught, and runs to mother or dad and cries "I'm sorry." A man in jail asks that we pray that God will "draw him back close to Him" because of his guilty conscience. And I will.
Conscience is our wise counselor, teacher, most faithful and patient friend. Our conscience is a gift from God to each of us. Let us heed our conscience. A great maxim to remember is "Let your conscience be your guide." This gift from God will guide us right along life's days.
